


Archive

by yetanotherramblingfangirl



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Gen, Prompt Fic, gratutious use of AUs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2020-10-11 23:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 7,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20554745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yetanotherramblingfangirl/pseuds/yetanotherramblingfangirl
Summary: A collection of prompt fics.





	1. Defensive

“I won’t stand for it, Ada,” Hecate said as she slapped the newspaper down against Ada’s desk before beginning to pace. “I will not allow that intolerable, ignorant, long-winded-”

“Hecate.” 

The interruption was gentle, but Hecate recognized the edge to Ada’s voice that clearly signaled she was fast approaching a line she shouldn’t cross. Her jaw clamped shut with an audible click as she crossed her arms tightly across her chest.

Ada rose from her seat behind the desk, coming around to block Hecate’s path. “I appreciate what you’re trying to say, really I do. But this is simply an editorial.”

“He cannot claim to support you and then in the next line of his piece insult you.”

Ada gently placed her hands on Hecate’s arms, just above where Hecate’s own hands grasped her upper arms. “He can say what he pleases. He’s the Great Wizard.”

“That shouldn’t matter.”

“But it does.” Ada smiled ruefully at her partner, thumbs stroking gently up and down against her arms. “It does, and thousands of years of tradition won’t be changed in a single afternoon. We will survive. We always have before.”

Hecate’s posture remained as rigid as ever, but her hands did loosen their grip fractionally. “How can you be so blasé about the Great Wizard commenting on you? Not your abilities, but your character?”

“I have been through this enough times to know that those whose opinions matter will not be swayed by insinuation without evidence, and that those who are do not matter. I’m not trying to dismiss your concerns. I just think our energies would be better spent on our students.”

Hecate uncrossed her arms and placed her hands gently on Ada’s shoulders. “If that is truly what you think, then I will let it go. For now.”

Ada’s bright smile loosened the knot of anxiety that had formed in the pit of Hecate’s stomach. Her quirked eyebrow and slightly widened smile signaled that she knew just the effect she was having. Leaning up, she pressed her lips gently against Hecate’s cheek. “Thank you.”


	2. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Museum AU - Hecate and Ada spending time in the break room.

“If I don’t like something, I’ll stay away from it,” Hecate said with a shrug. She took a quick swallow of rapidly cooling tea, her eyes never leaving Ada’s face across the table.

“But you always have biscuits with your tea…” Ada stared at her, brow furrowed in confusion.

“You said you were going to be out of the office all morning.” She fiddled idly with her cup, fingernails drumming against the sides and filling the room with gentle clinking.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I didn’t think you’d be here to have tea.” Hecate’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn’t drop her gaze.

“I still don’t understan-” Ada cut herself off, eyes widening as she pieced together the unsaid parts of the conversation. “Oh.”

“I know you like them, and I just - I wanted an excuse to- I don’t know.” Hecate’s voice was small and her cheeks flushed a deeper pink as she spoke, her embarrassment and frustration warring with each other as she tried to explain her behavior. She cut herself off quite abruptly, her eyes dropping to the cup in front of her.

Ada reached across the small table and placed her hands around Hecate’s, stilling the younger woman’s fingers with slight affectionate pressure. “What a lovely thing to do. Thank you.”

Hecate’s eyes shot up at the contact. “You don’t find it…presumptuous?”

“Not in the slightest. I find it quite thoughtful, really.” Ada smiled brightly. “I always look forward to our morning tea. The biscuits are just an added bonus.”


	3. Snapshot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hecate cares for Ada while she's sick.

“It has been a long time, and I had almost forgotten all about it,” Hecate said as she gently moved the photo album from Ada’s lap and smoothed the blanket over her. She lay one cool hand against Ada’s forehead, frowning when she noted no change in temperature.

“Liar.” Ada’s laugh turned quickly into a cough. She struggled to regain her breath, eyes watering and cheeks reddening from exertion.

“Exaggerator maybe,” Hecate said as she helped to readjust Ada’s pillows and settle her into a more upright position. “But it has been quite some time since the birthday party in those pictures. That part is undoubtedly true.”

Ada peered at Hecate over the rims of her glasses. “Is that just a subtle jab at my age?”

Hecate raised an eyebrow as she summoned a cough suppressant from her potions stores. She measured out a dose and helped Ada to take it. “I’m just as many years older as you.”

Grimacing at the bitter taste of the remedy, Ada settled further back into the pillows. “You certainly don’t look it.”

“Now who’s the liar?”

“I believe you used the term ‘exaggerator’?” Ada said with a grin, her eyes twinkling merrily despite her illness.

“Mhmm. Likely story.” Hecate’s lips twitched as she tried to maintain a straight face, but Ada’s playfulness was infectious and she couldn’t suppress her smile.

“You’re certainly just as beautiful as you were then, if not more so.”

“Flatterer.”

Ada winked in response, her chuckle quickly giving way to a jaw-cracking yawn. “Please excuse me.”

“You should rest.” Hecate rose from her seat beside the bed, hands fidgeting with the blankets. She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Ada’s forehead. “I’m going to take care of a few pressing issues, but I promise I will be here when you wake up.”

Ada closed her eyes and burrowed into her blankets, once again mussing what Hecate had just smoothed. “Thank you for taking such good care of things. Me included.”

“Of course.”


	4. Trinket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Museum AU - Hecate surprises Ada with a thoughtful gift.

“You shouldn’t have,” Ada said with a smile as she picked up the small gift box Hecate had just slid across the break room table.

Hecate fidgeted slightly, leg bouncing beneath the table as she fiddled with her security badge. “It’s your birthday! But if it makes you feel better, they’re not anything fancy.”

Untying the fuchsia ribbon that held the box closed, Ada carefully removed the lid to peek inside. A pair of floral cameo earrings sat atop the foam insert in the box, the porcelain practically glowing under the fluorescent lights. “They’re beautiful,” Ada said as she lifted one out of the box to examine it more closely. Deep pink peony blossoms with dark green leaves stood out against the bright white of the porcelain. The gold metalwork was delicate and appeared to be Edwardian in style.

It was several moments before Hecate broke the silence with a rushed, “Do you like them?”

“I love them! Where did you find them?”

“I made them.” Hecate flushed slightly, a bashful smile spreading across her face. She continued to fidget with her security badge, thin fingers picking at a small crack in the plastic badge cover.

Ada’s mouth gaped for a moment before she remembered herself and her surroundings. She shook her head in an attempt to refocus. “You made these?”

Hecate nodded curtly. “I wanted to get you something special and nothing I saw in the shops seemed right so I thought making something myself would be the best way forward. Are you sure you like them?”

Tears gathered at the corners of Ada’s eyes as she beamed across the table at Hecate. She carefully placed the earring she’d been holding back in the box and slipped the lid back into place before reaching across the table for Hecate’s hand. When Hecate placed her hand into Ada’s, Ada gave it a gentle affectionate squeeze. “I love them even more now. I can’t believe you took the time to do this for me. Thank you, Hecate.”

Hecate squeezed Ada’s hand and smiled shyly in return. “You’re very welcome.”


	5. Intention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Non-magical AU - Hecate helps Ada prepare for an upcoming move.

Hecate sat cross-legged on the floor, carefully wrapping knick-knacks in bubble wrap and nestling them into newspaper nests in a cardboard box. Ada stood on the other side of the coffee table, pulling glass figurines and porcelain pieces from the curio cabinet that dominated a living room wall. She dusted each one carefully before placing it on the coffee table.

“I appreciate all your help,” Ada said as she carefully closed the glass doors to the curio cabinet. “I know this probably isn’t how you wanted to spend your Saturday.”

“I don’t mind,” Hecate said with a small smile as she continued with her task. “I didn’t have anything pressing to do today.”

Ada settled in beside her, wiping her hands against her thighs and sighing at the dust streaks that were left behind. “I shouldn’t have been so lax about the dusting.”

Hecate smirked. “You’ll just have to remember that when you get settled in your new place.”

“I can, with nearly one hundred percent certainty, say that is highly unlikely to happen.”

With a gentle laugh, Hecate settled another figurine in the box. She reached to grab another figurine only to be stopped by Ada laying a gentle hand on her forearm. She looked over in slight surprise, mouth opening to inquire what the matter was. She didn’t get a chance to get the words out before Ada began to speak.

“I meant it when I said I appreciate your help today. I know moving isn’t fun for anyone and it’s an imposition–”

“– Ada, it’s fine–”

“–and an inconvenience, but I just wanted to say tha–”

Ada was startled into silence when Hecate suddenly pressed her fingers against Ada’s lips in an effort to quiet her. They stared at each other with wide eyes, each equally surprised by the action. Hecate pulled her hand away quickly, clasping her hands tightly in her lap as her cheeks flushed a brilliant pink. “I am so sorry! I just– you weren’t– I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. It was rude and inappropriate.”

Ada smiled in reassurance, desperate to help Hecate regain some sense of equilibrium. “I was rambling a bit. And I suppose that meant I wasn’t quite listening. What were you trying to tell me?”

Hecate stared at the cat figurine she’d been reaching for only moments before, eyes still wide in horror at what she’d done. “I don’t mind helping you, Ada.”

“I appreciate that, Hecate.” The I appreciate you was left unsaid but Ada hoped Hecate picked up on it.

Hecate tensed for a moment, worried eyes turning to look at Ada straight on. A look of nervous determination crept over her features and time seemed to slow down as Ada watched Hecate come to some sort of decision. “I like helping you, Ada, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be. I like spending time with you.”

“I like spending time with you, too.”

Hecate closed her eyes for a moment, hands coming up to hover in front of her face before she dropped them back into her lap. She opened her eyes and let out a shaky breath. “I just like you.”

Ada offered her hand to Hecate, palm out and open to receive Hecate’s. “I like you, too.”

“You do?” Hecate looked at her with wide, wet eyes. She placed her hand in Ada’s, carefully lacing their fingers together.

Squeezing Hecate’s hand gently, Ada made sure she was making direct eye contact. “Very much so.”

Time slowed as they each leaned in toward the other. With her free hand, Ada reached to push a lock of hair behind Hecate’s ear. Hecate’s eyelids fluttered closed at the action and the sight was something Ada promised herself she would remember forever.

“Knock, knock! Ada, we thought you might need dinner and some extra help so–ohmygod! I’m so sorry.” Dimity’s sudden arrival caused the two to spring apart, each startled by the unexpected intrusion.

Hecate covered her face with her hands in an effort to hide her embarrassed flush. Ada rose from the ground slowly, brushing off her backside as she made her way across the room to greet Dimity. “Thank you, Dimity. That was very thoughtful.”

Dimity leaned in once Ada was close enough, whispering, “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I didn’t know there was anything to interrupt. I can leave if you think…”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Hecate said from her spot on the floor, surprising both Ada and Dimity. She had dropped her hands from her face, and though her blush hadn’t receded entirely, she looked determined. Rising nimbly from the ground, she made her way over to the other two. “We could use the help.”

“Right then,” Dimity said, clapping her hands together. “Dinner first and then we tackle the rest of these sundries?”

“Sounds like an excellent idea,” Ada said as she walked past Dimity and toward the kitchen, the others trailing behind carefully avoiding eye contact with one another.


	6. Calamity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimity overhears a conversation and formulates a plan.

As she carefully carried the heavily-laden tea tray she’d painstakingly prepared up the three flights of stairs to Miss Cackle’s rooms, Dimity found herself dreading what she would find. A painful knot formed in the pit of her stomach at the prospect of another tense encounter with Hecate. She knew the other woman was simply taking out her anxiety on a convenient proxy. She just wished that proxy didn’t have to be her.

There was no answer when she knocked at the sitting room door, so Dimity waited a few moments before letting herself in. The bedroom door at the back of the room was cracked and the soft murmur of voices could be heard from inside. Stealing herself, Dimity made her way closer only to be brought up short at the sound of a desperately emotional Hecate Hardbroom.

“Ada, we don’t have to have this conversation now. You’re going to get better an–”

“But what if I don’t, Hecate? There are no guarantees that the treatments will work and I think it’s better to be prepared.” Ada sounded so tired, her voice steady but slow.

Dimity clutched the tea tray’s handles tighter, her palms beginning to sweat as she stood frozen in her spot. She shouldn’t be listening to this. She could just leave the tray and send a maglet message. They wouldn’t ever need to know that she’d heard any of this. Hecate’s voice was brittle, cutting through Dimity’s thoughts and leaving her absolutely certain that she couldn’t interrupt without incurring Hecate’s full wrath.

“Prepared, yes. And we are prepared fo-”

The gentle rustle of blankets being disturbed interrupted Hecate before Ada spoke. “We’re not as prepared as we should be. My will-”

“No. Lay back down.”

Dimity held her breath as she listened to Ada mutter something unintelligible before the rustle of blankets and squeak of bedsprings covered the sound.

“There, that’s much better.” Hecate’s voice carried an artificial brightness that Dimity had never heard from her before. She supposed Hecate was just trying to hold herself together through a conversation she quite clearly didn’t want to have.

“Hecate, my will–”

“I will not do this now. I won’t.” If it hadn’t been for the subtle crack in her voice, Dimity would have thought Hecate was being rather unreasonably severe.

“If not now, then when? Because we’re waiting for the healer to arrive and I certainly don’t feel any better than I did this time yesterday. Nothing’s wor–”

“Ada Cackle, you are not going to die. Not for a very long time.” Hecate’s voice caught, small and tight and desperate.

“We don’t know that.”

The silence that followed was oppressive, but Dimity supposed it presented her the option of interrupting without giving away that she had heard any of the conversation. The soft sniffling she heard as she pushed her way through the door gave her pause, but it was too late now. She forced a cheerful smile on her face and said brightly, “Tea time!”

Hecate had fled to the window at the gentle creak of the door, posture rigid and back resolutely turned to Dimity. Ada, small and pale among the many blankets stacked atop her, smiled in greeting. “Thank you, Dimity.”

Dimity set the tray on the side table, carefully shifting aside books and vials and other detritus. She set about pouring tea, one cup well-sugared for Ada and one with a single slice of lemon for Hecate. “I thought you might appreciate some tea and cakes, if you’re feeling up to eating. That goes for both of you by the way.”

Ada pushed herself into a seated position and took the proffered cup of tea. “It was very thoughtful of you to do that, wasn’t it Hecate?”

Hecate didn’t move from her spot near the window, though she did offer a gentle noise of assent. Dimity watched as she continued to stand with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, shoulders trembling just slightly. She was clearly trying to hold herself together out of some misplaced sense of propriety, but Dimity knew better than to say anything about it. That would be as good as admitting that she’d overheard a private conversation and Dimity did not feel like being raked over the coals for eavesdropping. No, it was best to leave her be and set herself a new task.

"I'll leave you to it," Dimity said as she made to take her leave, a plan already formulating in her head. "You know how to reach me if you need anything."

She'd slipped through the door before any response could be given and headed straight to the library. If she was going to cure Miss Cackle, research was most definitely in order.


	7. Thoughts like this that catch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hecate misses Ada while she's away.

It wasn’t so bad when Ada was away from the castle for a day or two. Hecate found things to distract herself in the hours not occupied by classes and daily work duties. Restocking healing potions, inventorying the potions section of the library, a thorough cleaning of the storeroom shelves. These were things she could throw herself into without thinking about the way time seemed to slow when Ada wasn’t present.

It was when she’d run out of tasks to distract herself in the evenings that things became difficult. Too much time and too much quiet led to too much thinking and Hecate had never been best left alone with her thoughts.

But the opportunity to speak at conferences was too good to pass up; and no matter how much she might miss Ada, Hecate would never do anything to hold her back. Her feelings for Ada were unshakable and time had led her to the solid belief that Ada’s feelings for her were much the same. It was this thought that brought her comfort when she found herself watching the clock.

They were a set, a matched pair, a binary star. Hecate found she wouldn’t have it any other way.


	8. I learn to love you more with every passing day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor AU - Domestic fluff

Ada couldn’t help but smile as she made her way up the pathway from the driveway to the front porch. Hecate was curled into the corner of the porch swing, a book held against her knees with one hand and a cup of steaming tea clutched to her chest with the other. She was clearly absorbed in whichever book she’d picked up because she didn’t appear to notice Ada’s approach. Ada didn’t mind. It gave her a moment to simply observe the way Hecate’s brow furrowed as she read or the way her fingers brushed against the pages.

Hecate would roll her eyes if she knew this was where she was directing her attention, even though Ada knew she enjoyed it. She’d made sure to tell her that she liked it when Ada looked at her because she liked the way Ada looked at her. Thinking about that particular revelation still made her blush several years on.

She was halfway up the steps when Hecate peeked over the top of her book and smiled warmly. “How were your meetings?”

“Long,” Ada said as she climbed the last step.

“Aren’t they always?”

Ada laughed in acknowledgement. She had been known to complain about the longwindedness of the college president in meetings with department heads. But she didn’t feel like talking about boring budget meetings in which no changes to her departmental budget were made, so instead changed the subject. “Is there still water for tea?”

“I already made you some. It’s in your pink travel mug on the counter.”

“Thank you.”

Hecate’s gaze drifted back down to the thick novel perched against her knees. “Of course. There’s also a surprise waiting for you in the kitchen.”

“A surprise?” Ada paused midway toward the front door, turning to look back at Hecate.

“Mhmm.” Hecate didn’t look up, her noise of assent punctuated by a quick page turn.

Ada made her way inside, placing her purse and keys in their regular spots in the study before going upstairs to quickly change into something more comfortable for lounging than her skirt suit. Now that she was home all she wanted was the cozy intimacy of lounging on that porch swing with Hecate. The simple pleasure of just sitting quietly with someone was a powerful draw.

Suit swapped for leggings and a chenille sweater she knew Hecate liked the feel of, Ada went back downstairs to the kitchen. Sitting on the counter next to her favorite bright pink travel mug was an opaque Tupperware container. The sticky note on the lid read ‘Ada’s surprise’ in Hecate’s neat script. Cracking open one corner, the smell of her favorite biscuit flooded her senses. She opened the lid wider and smiled at the clearly homemade biscuits. Grabbing her tea and the container of biscuits she made her way back to the porch.

“You made me custard creams?” Ada said as she closed the front door behind her.

“I did.” Hecate slowly turned a page.

“But you don’t even like them.”

Hecate closed her book, one finger holding her place, and looked at Ada pointedly. “I didn’t make them for me.”

Ada settled herself on the swing and sidled closer to Hecate. “You spoil me,” she said before placing a soft kiss on her wife’s check.

Hecate smiled and flushed happily, the way she always did when Ada offered these kinds of comments and gentle affections. She shifted her position to make space for Ada to cuddle more fully against her. “Well, sometimes you deserve spoiling.”

“Thank you, Hecate.” Ada closed her eyes and sighed happily after taking a bite of one of her biscuits. “These are delicious.”

“I’m just glad you like them.”

“I love them. And I love you.”

Hecate wrapped an arm around Ada and squeezed gently, encouraging Ada to burrow further into her side. “I love you, too.”

The silence that followed between them was happy and comfortable. Hecate continued to read, her book leaning against a throw pillow while she wrapped an arm around Ada. The gentle motion of her fingers dragging back and forth against the soft chenille of Ada’s sweater combined with the subtle rise and fall of her breathing helped lull Ada into a doze. Her breathing slowed and the warmth radiating from Hecate kept her from feeling the subtle chill that was beginning to creep into the late afternoon air.

She could have stayed there forever and been perfectly content. Biscuits, tea, and Hecate. What more could she have possibly needed?


	9. Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miss Bat gives Hecate some advice.

“Miss Bat, do you have a moment?”

Gwen took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and counted to five. She’d just poured herself a cup of tea and settled into the comfortable armchair that was the perfect distance from the fire to warm her toes. “Hecate, whatever it is I’ve done to upset you this time, can I just apologize now and skip the lecture?”

“Wha-? Have you done something?” 

Caught off-guard by Hecate’s genuine confusion, Gwen opened her eyes and set her cup and saucer on the small side table to her left. She took a moment to observe her former student, noting the anxious way she clutched her watch pendant and the furrow of her brow. “Well, not that I’m aware of. It’s just that lately your ‘do you have a moment’s usually mean I’ve done something of which you don’t approve. But if you have other business to discuss with me, I’m more than happy to do that.”

Hecate settled herself on the edge of the nearest chair, her hands leaving the watch pendant to twist together painfully in her lap. She opened her mouth to say something before closing it again quickly with an audible snap. It was a moment before she opened her mouth again and said quietly, “I need advice.”

Gwen’s eyebrows rose of their own accord. She could not remember the last time Hecate had come to her for advice on...anything. Not that she thought it any sort of slight, it was just that Hecate was much more likely to ask Ada for advice. Oh. She kept her suspicions to herself and simply said, “About?”

Hecate flushed a pale pink, her brow furrowing further as she tried to work up the courage to discuss something that was evidently important and deeply personal to her. “It’s about a friend.”

“Alright. What about them?”

“I would like to tell them something important, but I’m -- unsure of how they’ll respond.” 

The pale pink flush that had crept across Hecate’s face was fast becoming a violent red. Gwen was tempted to offer a cooling spell but thought that would only make matters worse. “That’s generally speaking how conversations go, my dear. One rarely knows what the other is going to say. Just remember how we started out this afternoon.”

“I suppose,” Hecate murmured.

Gwen did her best to suppress an eyeroll. She grabbed her rapidly cooling tea from the table at her left, quickly reheating it with a flick of the fingers before taking a sip. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Hecate. Life is too short not to share important things with people, even if we’re not sure how they’re going to turn out.”

Hecate looked toward the fire, eyes focused on the flames. “But what if telling the other person ruins everything?”

Now Gwen couldn’t suppress her eyeroll any longer. “I swear, if the two of you were moving any slower, you’d be going in reverse.”

“Excuse me?”

“Just go tell Ada how you feel about her. I’m tired of you two of you pining after each other. Each one of you is as bad as the other! It’s seriously cutting into my tea time.”

The air seemed to leave the room as Gwen realized exactly what she’d said. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. Hecate stared at her with a matching expression, frozen in a state of shock. It was several seconds before time snapped back like a rubber band and Hecate disappeared from the room with a gesture.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Gwen sighed before finishing her tea and settling in for a quick afternoon nap.


	10. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it isn't the loss of the thing itself that hurts. Sometimes it's the loss of what it represents.

Despite the profound exhaustion she felt, sleep did not come easily to Ada the night that Agatha left the castle. She tossed and turned, pillow clutched tightly to her chest and mussed hair wreathing her head like a graying auburn cloud. It didn’t matter how she lay; her restless mind kept her from being able to settle. Instead, she replayed Agatha’s exit over and over as if that would change the outcome.

The reasons for her sister’s dismissal were myriad: She was not suited to teaching or administration. She very clearly and vocally didn't enjoy it. She was a negative influence on the staff, drawing some of them into schemes meant to strip others of their authority. Her views on discipline relied heavily on cruelty and humiliation. Agatha had to go. But acknowledgement of this logical and necessary conclusion didn’t keep it from hurting.

Ada screwed her eyes shut and clutched her pillow tighter to her chest, hoping the pressure would help to hold her together despite feeling as though she were unraveling. She didn’t exactly feel guilty because she’d done the right thing. And she certainly didn’t regret dismissing Agatha from her position. If pushed, she could admit that she felt some modicum of relief at the knowledge that Agatha wasn’t in a position to harm any Cackle’s student ever again. A few tears broke free from her lash-line and slid down the side of her face into her pillowcase when she realized exactly what it was she felt: grief.

She wasn’t grieving Agatha’s dismissal or Agatha’s absence. They’d spent enough time apart over the course of their lifetime for that to cause nothing more than a dull ache when she chose to think about it. No, she was grieving the death of a long-held dream. And that she would just have to allow herself.


	11. Shock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ada finds that a great shock can often lead one to reckon with one's feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by my royal marriage of convenience AU - full description here: https://yetanotherramblingfangirl.tumblr.com/post/184356361215/252-hackle

The doctor was just exiting Hecate’s chambers when Ada managed to finally excuse herself from her other responsibilities. The older man stopped in his tracks and offered a formal bow.

“I apologize for not coming sooner, Dr. Surus,” Ada said softly. “I would appreciate whatever you can tell me.”

“Ma’am, I’m afraid Her Highness’s condition is quite serious,” the doctor said quietly. “I’ve done what I can to mitigate the damage, but her wounds were extensive. There is little to do now but wait to see if she wakes. I am sorry I cannot say more with confidence at this time.”

“Thank you for your efforts, doctor,” Ada said, signaling to the guards to open the chamber door.

She entered the room with her eyes closed, waiting for the soft click of the latch to sound before taking her first glimpse at her wife. Hecate looked so small tucked beneath her blankets. Her long hair was neatly plaited and placed over a shoulder. The eerie stillness of her bruised face, usually so expressive even in sleep, was unsettling. She was too doll-like, posed and positioned. It was too much.

A chair was already positioned near the head of Hecate’s bed. Ada filled it, slowly settling herself into the space. Her very bones ached with the exhaustion of months of battle and travel. She leaned forward and placed her hands over Hecate’s hand, reassured by the warmth she still felt there. Her eyes watched the gentle rise and fall of her wife’s chest. As long as she was breathing, then all was not lost. As long as she was breathing, there was still time to say all the things that had been left unsaid.

“This is all my fault,” she said into the quiet room, voice small and so very tired. “I am so sorry, Hecate. I owe you so much more than tearful apologies and hand-holding. Now, because of me, you’re here in this bed and you may not wake up. How can I ever make it up to you? I owe you everything.”

Ada reached up to wipe away a few tears, knowing that it was a pointless exercise. She sniffled and cleared her throat before continuing. “I love you, Hecate, and I have done for a long time. I was in the middle of it before I even knew it had begun, but I was a coward and couldn’t tell you. But that is done. I love you, Hecate.”

She needed to say these things and she would say them everyday until Hecate could understand her. And then she would continue to say them because Hecate deserved to know that she was loved for herself. Not for what she did or for what she had brought to the kingdom or because it was expected of her in return. For herself, faults and triumphs alike.

“So rest and heal. Because there is so much more left to do and see and say; and I want to do and see and say those things with you. If that’s what you want as well.”

The part of Ada that believed in miracles waited for some sort of response from Hecate, but the rational part knew that none would be forthcoming in the immediate future. But that didn’t matter. The words were there and when the moment was right, Hecate would become aware of them. How many times had Hecate reminded her that words and intentions have power? Too many for these words and intentions not to have registered somewhere. The only thing left to do was the interminable waiting.


	12. Karaoke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hecate joins the others for karaoke night in honor of Ada's birthday.

Karaoke was not and never would be Hecate's first choice for a night out. Increasingly inebriated people attempting to sing pop songs they could barely muddle through when stone-cold sober? This was not her idea of entertainment. But it was Ada's birthday and if this is what she wanted to do, Hecate would tag along.

The usual suspects were already there when she arrived at the pub. Algernon and Gwen were scouring the catalog for a suitable duet, Dimity was chatting up a curly-haired blonde at the bar, and Ada was chatting with her college friends who'd driven down especially for this party. Hecate couldn't help but smile when she saw Ada laugh at something her friend Mona was saying. Ada was beautiful when she laughed.

If she was willing to be honest with herself she would admit that Ada was always beautiful. But that was a thought carefully boxed up and stowed away for contemplation later.

“Over here, Hecate!” Ada called when she noticed Hecate carefully making her way through the crowd. She stood and made a quick waving motion.

Hecate smiled reflexively at the gesture and did her best to speed her approach.

“Happy birthday, Ada,” she said when she arrived at the table and took the empty seat next to Dimity’s coat.

“Thank you,” Ada said, smiling brightly. “And thank you for coming. I know this isn’t exactly your favorite activity.”

“It’s your birthday. Of course I came.”

“But still-”

“What part of ‘it’s your birthday’ do I need to clarify?” She raised an eyebrow and smirked, hoping that everyone would understand that she was teasing.

Ada laughed before introducing her college friends. “Hecate, you remember Mona and Barbara from my Christmas party, right?”

Hecate nodded politely to each of the other women. “Of course. Lovely to see you both again. How was the trip?”

The next few minutes were occupied with small talk and refreshment of drinks. Hecate did her best to ignore the drone of flubbed rock songs, focusing instead on the argument about the superiority of Mark Williams’s portrayal of Father Brown that Barbara had launched herself into. She may not have been familiar with the show, not generally being much of a television watcher, but Barbara’s vehemence in the face of Mona’s counter-argument in favor of Kenneth Moore was certainly entertaining.

She was shaken out of this happy reverie when Dimity flopped down into the seat next to her. “I think you’re almost up, Ada.”

“Oh. Well then let me get one last drink before my name is called. A bit of Dutch courage might not hurt.” Ada pushed her chair in carefully before heading over to the bar.

“I’ll come with you,” Mona said, rising from her seat and following after Ada. “I need a break from the ‘virtues of Mark Williams’.”

“Oh, come off it. You just know I’m right!” Barbara called after the pair. “I am right, by the way. 8 seasons bear that out.”

Hecate snorted in amusement before lapsing into only slightly uncomfortable silence. She listened instead to Barbara quiz Dimity about the woman she’d been chatting with at the bar. Her thoughts drifted aimlessly, focused only on making it through the evening without embarrassing herself by staring or saying the wrong thing in front of Ada’s friends.

Ada silently placed a glass of red wine in front of her, drawing a pleased smile from Hecate. “I thought you might like something to drink,” she said softly before retaking her own seat.

“Thank you,” Hecate said, raising the glass and taking a sip.

If she thought Ada was looking at her a bit intently, she filed that thought away quickly and instead refocused on Dimity’s humorous retelling of her various flirtations. Several more karaoke singers butchered their way through the oeuvre of Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue while Hecate sipped her wine and followed the gentle rise and fall of the conversation around her. 

Algernon and Gwen had rejoined the table and were offering commentary about the intonation and pitch problems. She supposed it was an occupational hazard for Gwen. Fifty years and counting as a music teacher was bound to leave one with opinions.

“Thank you, Melinda, for that rousing rendition of ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’! Next up, we have Ada C.!” the man running the karaoke called into the microphone.

“Oh! That’s me!” Ada said, standing quickly and making her way to the karaoke platform.

Hecate and the others cheered for her, whooping and chanting “Ada! Ada! Ada!” as she climbed up the three short steps to take the microphone from the barman. Hecate offered a warm smile and an awkward thumbs up when she saw Ada glance her way. She looked nervous yet determined. Hecate couldn’t help but admire her for it.

She couldn’t claim to recognize the song, but she could recognize that Ada sounded much more confident than she looked. Her voice was clear and she was delivering it. Hecate couldn’t look away. She was forced out of her observation by a pointed elbow in the side.

“Excuse me,” she hissed at Dimity, rubbing at the painful spot. “What was that for?”

“I think she’s singing to you,” Dimity said.

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is karaoke.”

Dimity rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at Hecate. “I may be many things, some of which may occasionally flirt with ridiculousness, but I’m not blind or deaf. She’s staring right at you when she sings. Are you even listening to the words?”

“What?”

“Please tell me you heard the beginning of the second verse. You were listening, right?”

“Explain.”

“You have to be kidding me. ‘Thinking 'bout you every day...Dreaming 'bout you every night...Hoping that you feel the same way’? While staring directly at you? I think Ada might be trying to tell you something.” Dimity crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair.

Hecate’s widened eyes focused on Ada who was in fact staring in her direction. “Oh.”

Maybe karaoke wasn’t as bad as she remembered after all.


	13. Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another part of the professor AU. An upcoming campus visitor necessitates a conversation.

Ada left her meeting with the other department heads dazed and a little more than frazzled. Guest speakers were not an unusual occurrence on a college campus; they were a regular part of life. But she knew that this particular guest speaker would present a specific and very taxing challenge for her best friend. She cycled through the ways to tell Hecate, dismissing each one as callous or insensitive. There was no good way. Hecate, for all her bluster and bravado, was a sensitive young woman. But this needed to be done and it needed to be done as soon as possible.

Hecate was seated in her office, working through a tall stack of marking. The door was open, signalling that she would accept visitors at the moment. Ada took a fortifying breath and rapped her knuckles gently against the door frame. “Do you have a minute?”

Hecate looked up, a slight smile turning up the corners of her mouth. Her brow furrowed when she noticed Ada’s distress. “Of course.”

“Do you mind if I shut the door?” Ada asked.

The steady assessing stare she got in return before receiving a single nod told her that she needed to reign herself in. She was getting too emotionally worked up to deliver the news she needed to deliver efficiently. She just hoped Hecate would appreciate it.

“I just left a meeting–”

“Your meeting with the other department chairs.”

“Yes.” Ada froze for a moment as she tried to gather her courage. There was no gentle way to do this. Maybe the Band-Aid approach was the best and only way forward. “The philosophy department has arranged for Dr. Belladonna Nettle to be their symposium’s keynote speaker.”

The color drained from Hecate’s face and she went eerily still. Her eyes stared straight through Ada, as if Hecate was no longer seeing the room around her but something more distant and much more personal.

Ada nervously wrung her hands and watched as Hecate slowly came back to herself. “I came as soon as the meeting was over. I thought you deserved to know.”

Hecate occupied herself with the papers on her desk, eyes turned away from Ada. She cleared her throat, the soft clicking of carefully stifled emotion unmistakable. Her voice was small and tight when she finally managed to say “She’s a historian, not a philosopher. Why have they requested her?”

“Her new book is about to be published. Apparently Dr. Elder received an advance copy and was impressed with the level of analysis on the effect of mid-19th century nihilist philosophers.”

“I see.” She had turned completely away from Ada and was quickly gathering her things.

“Hecat–”

“Please don’t.” The interruption was quiet but commanding. “I have two more classes this afternoon. I cannot do this right now.”

Desperate to be helpful, Ada blurted out the first thing she thought of. “I can cover your classes.”

Hecate looked at her over her a tense shoulder, eyes watery. “I’d prefer to do it myself. Thank you.”

Ada nodded, eyes worried and hands yearning to reach out. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I know.”

Hecate grabbed her bags and coat before turning and looking at Ada. “I-”

“I’ll call you later, Hecate. Go teach your classes.” Ada smiled, her eyebrows still furrowed with worry over Hecate.

“Thank you.”

Hecate squeezed Ada’s arm as she walked past her to open the door. Ada chose to believe it meant she was thanking her for trying to be helpful. She would file away the happy warmth the simple touch brought her for further examination at a later date. For now, she needed to make sure Hecate was alright and the Dr. Belladonna Nettle did nothing to compromise that.


End file.
